3.5 Stars

Okay, I read all of Sophie Jordan’s Historical Romances, so I didn’t even peruse the synopsis before committing to this read. I went in totally blind and was so excited to find Silas’s romance! I felt like I’ve been yearning for it for so long, ever since he made a small appearance in previous books.

I love how we jump right in. It’s high stakes and sexy right from the get-go. The initial way Mercy and Silas come together was slightly awkward, I wasn’t sure why Silas caved, but I was quickly past it and all in with the romance. The heat and fantastical scenario was everything I love from Jordan’s Historical Romances.

I was less impressed with Silas’s arc through to the end though. He lost a lot of that rough and dangerous demeanor that gave him so much heat. It was a little too passive by mid book, even though I still loved the chemistry he had with Mercy.

Mercy’s character I really enjoyed. Her maturity and sense of responsibility was well explored while also leaving room for touches of innocence and growth. She really carried the book.

Overall, it wasn’t perfect, but it was still a compulsive read that fits right in with Jordan’s excellent work. It’s one that I know I’ll reread.

*I received a free copy from the publisher via netgalley.

I enjoyed the book. I always enjoy a strong female MC, and Mercy was definitely that. I prefer more of a slow burn romance, and it was steamy from the jump.

I started out enjoying this book. Loved how the heroine took charge to do what she felt she had to do. But I had a hard time connecting with the characters and really needed to get to know them better. Not a lot of excitement for me. I enjoyed the first in the series more and this one was just ok. Thanks to NetGalley for the ARC to read and review.

I liked this installment of The Duke Hunt series better than the last one, even if there's barely a duke in sight. (The connection is that the heroine, Mercy, is friends with Imogen from [book:The Duke Goes Down|55809805].) In this story, Mercy must steal the deed to her family farm from the owner of the gambling den (Silas) to whom her wastrel twin brother lost it. Upon nearly being caught red-handed in Silas's rooms, she ends up seducing him to cover up her real purpose. After Silas discovers the theft, he decides to confront her--and then sticks around for a while.

His reason for sticking around her farm was, as Mercy pointed out, logically unnecessary, but needed in the plot for the romance to develop. I suspect it's because he actually wanted to be around her, but we don't get enough interiority with Silas to confirm that. Other than a bit of his back story, we don't really get enough information about him to truly appreciate what Mercy means to him or the value of the sacrifices he's willing to make for her. And Mercy's family is full of jerks who don't deserve her constant sacrifices--the petulant, flirtatious younger sisters she's been mothering since Mercy was 10, and the aforementioned gambler brother.

Those weaker points aside, Mercy and Silas have heat for days, and an authentic friendship to boot. The plot remains relative tight and thus lends itself to showing how the romance develops over time. (Insta-attraction, for Mercy at least, but the love unfolds.)

Had the story ended differently, I probably would have rated this higher, but it ended in a hurried way with one more silly/gross villain than the plot needed--and with a decision from a main character that seems to go against the grain, one that deflates upon much scrutiny. The real villain is never really addressed in the plot, other than an aside; as absolutely awful as he is, and as much as we had to experience him on the page, we deserved to see his comeuppance.

There are no magical aphrodisiacs here, but Sophie Jordan fans should enjoy this one.

I have read every one of Ms. Jordan's books and have loved every one of them. This book seemed off to me. The spice never offends me but the storyline just didn't work for this time.
I would do the same thing our h did to save my family and fortune, I like a strong female lead but when the excitement was only in the beginning with no build-up and the adventure just died on the vine, this became the romance that was a dud for me,
I will still always read any future books from this author, she is one of my favorites!

I received this ARC via NetGalley but this my personal opinion of this book.

Mercy gets. Shits. Done.

When Mercy's brother gambles away the family home, she goes to London, breaks into the gambling hell, steals the deed, and fixes the problem. Now, is she briefly caught in the act and needs to seduce her way out of there? Yes- and she happily does.

Silas catches Mercy in his room and never gets mercy from her. He finds his thief and can't stay away as she's stolen more than a piece of paper. She steals any sense he has before she proceeds to steals his heart.

Now Mercy is no experienced seductress, capable of bringing the powerful Silas Masters to heel. She is simply a woman who decides to finally embrace her desires.

I love a heroine that is independent, capable, and selfless (though Mercy may be too much so). She is protective of her home and sister, and works tirelessly for the benefit of both. I so appreciate a historical romance heroine who is curious and enthusiastic about sex. She knows what she wants and she goes for it: she wants her home and she wants to fulfill her fantasies.

The book starts off strong and spicy. The ending felt a little rushed with a sudden conflict and resolution I didn't appreciate. And while Mercy was an excellent heroine, she was not matched by her hero. I did not find Silas as interesting as Mercy, and felt his backstory and motivation were not fleshed out enough. Nonetheless, the story was a fun historical romance with the benefit of a heroine that is no timid wallflower.

3.5 stars
2 spicy

Mercy certainly gets more than she planned when she steals back the voucher her brother lost at cards from Silas, the owner of the gaming hell.

Lots of steam at the beginning, then Silas follows Mercy home and the story just fizzed out for me.

Thanks to the publisher and Netgalley for the ARC to read and review.

Mercy Kittinger twin to Bede Kittinger sets out to retrieve a voucher Bede signed for all property, land, house and objects therein. He signed away the house that his two sisters lived in and there livelihood. She meets up with Silas Masters of The Rogue’s Den where the Bede lost everything gambling. Lively story, lots of intrigue. Sad how women were treated back in that time. I would recommend this book to others. Our library doesn’t purchase paperbacks but they are donated often.

Unfortunately I could tell right from the beginning that this book was not for me. I don’t like when books start off steamy. I’d rather get to know the characters and have there be an emotional connection first. I also didn’t like all the telling and no showing. So this was a pretty mediocre story for me.

I always love this author's books and reading this one was a delight - Mercy is the eldest sibling and takes care of her family's farm and when her brother who has a serious gambling issue pawns their land for depts he has raked up, Mercy is desperate to save what she has worked for. When one thing goes to another, she spends the night in the arms of Silas Masters, the very man who now owns her lands. Or so he thinks... when he shows up on her doorstep, Mercy is now stuck with him and he is not giving her up too easily. The romance is steamy, especially that first time together! And I am very interested in the story about the female blacksmith...

Despite how utterly different country girl Mercy and gaming hall owner Silas are they are perfectly matched in this book. Mercy might be untried but she is intelligent and a hard worker and willing to do whatever she needs to save her family farm from ruin after her reckless brother gambles it away.

Silas isn't heartless, but he's worked for everything he has and he isn't prepared when a woman steals back the voucher to some land he won and destracts him with a perfect night. Silas heads out to see the land that wouldn't been his and the woman he can't forget.

I loved almost everything about Silas and Mercy, but I mostly hated Mercy's siblings. They were selfish and cowards and it was difficult to see how three children could be so wildly different together. Without them though Mercy would've been a totally different person so I must thank them for that.
This is the perfect historical romance for anyone looking for a complex family dynamic and great banter between the heroes!

Oh boy, do I have thoughts on this book. Buckle up! From the very beginning there were aspects of this book that made me uncomfortable, but I tried to overlook them so that I could judge the book as a whole, as opposed to the first 10 pages alone. Unfortunately, the issues I had in the beginning didn't go away. No, no, no. They came back, again and again. Sometimes in the exact same form, sometimes in slightly new ways. To the point where my enjoyment as I read through the book just got lower and lower. Besides for my issues within the first few pages, I enjoyed the beginning, but the middle and the ending left a lot to be desired.

But let's get you up to speed first. What is this book even about?

This book follows Mercy after her idiot of a brother sold away their home to the owner of a gambling den named Silas. She goes to steal back the voucher that lists the legal transaction, and when caught in Silas's room, comes up with a plan to seduce him as a diversion and alibi. But just days later Silas shows up at her home and he's not leaving until he has answers.

Now, this cover, title, and premise drew me in. I figured that I would be guaranteed some smut from the get go, and I sure was. However, as the story progressed I was bothered more and more by the flatness of all the side characters and the predictability of their actions and the resulting plot points. The biggest illustration of this point is how any bad/evil/villainous man was portrayed.

Can we agree that there are multiple ways to make a person a villain? Even if that villain is a man! He could lie, cheat, steal, murder. There are so many options! So if EVERY male villain in your book is identified as such because of how they mistreat, abuse, degrade, exploit, harm, or take advantage of women, you're bad at writing villains. Not only that, but if those same men are lazy, fat, ugly, slovenly, hideous, and lecherous, you probably have a lot of stigmas ingrained in you that are now going to be harmfully perpetuated.

Fleshing out characters, making them charming in one sense, but a monster in another sense shows sophistication in writing. Having interchangeable villainous characters makes your book just seem repetitive. And it wasn't just the villains! Mercy's sister acts like a child the entire book. She's petulant and bratty and refuses to take advice. Which would be fine if she were 8 years old, but at 17 I would have liked her to have a bit more dimension. This may not have bothered me as much if other side characters had some dimension, but since the only people who had any sort of depth were Mercy and Silas, in general I was left wanting a lot more out of the characters.

If the characters had been my only gripe, this book might have been redeemable in my eyes, but the plot was repetitive and frustrating as well, and by the end of the book I had tired of the romance entirely. Usually, despite my other frustrations I end up at least enjoying the romantic aspect of a book, but that was not the case this time. Since there really was no element that had me invested by the end of the book, this story ended up being quite a big disappointment.

I gave this book 2 stars, and honestly, I think this is going to be my last Sophie Jordan book. I had these same issues with previous books of hers, and it doesn't seem like there are going to be any changes made in the future. It's a shame, because I really enjoy the chemistry and romantic entanglements that she comes up with, but I think it's time I realized that her books are no longer for me.

Another exciting regency love story be Sophie Jordon. This is book 2 in a series but it isn't necessary to read the first to enjoy this one,

Silas owns a popular gaming hell and is feared by many. One of those is Mercy's brother, who lost their property in a card game to Silas. Mercy comes to town to steal back the voucher as that property is the only thing she has to feed and house her family. She is willing to do anything to get it back.

The majority of the book takes place at Mercy's country home where there are plenty of opportunities for Mercy and Silas to get to know each other better. This was a quick and fun read.

As always, Ms. Jordan does not disappoint. The well written lead characters are likable and have great chemistry. Jordan also manages to take a well worn trope (everything lost in a game of cards) and makes it fresh and fun. If you are a fan, you will not be disappointed.

An adorable romp! I loved how quickly this moved and how independent the heroine is. It scratches that Bridgerton itch!

Whew! This book starts off extra steamy!

I have have always enjoyed Sophie Jordan’s books, and this one definitely have me glued to my seat, flying through the pages.

Mercy goes above and beyond for her family, especially to clean up the messes her twin brother keeps making. Silas comes off as very stoic to begin with but he completely melts because of Mercy. Silas is such a good man, and he continuously shows that throughout the book. Many of the other men in this book and decidedly not.

I have really come to love that the couples in this series have been more ‘common’ if that makes sense. Mercy is gentry, and Silas owns a gaming hell. Neither are titled, and it makes this book very refreshing.

I’m very excited for the next book in the series, and I think I have a good idea which couple will get their HEA!

I really love this romance. It was a joy to read. I wanted to start again when I finished.
I can't wait to share it

This book was entertaining. I did think the romance progressed a little too unnaturally and quickly. I did enjoy the characters though and the dialogue.

Mercy’s brother always acts foolishly and doesn’t think of others. Mercy has been cleaning up his messes since childhood. This time she has to retrieve a voucher for her family’s home from notorious gambling den owner, Silas Masters.

Silas is not what Mercy imagined. He is handsome and the farthest thing from cruel and heartless. She is instantly drawn to him and acts on her passion as she knows she will never see him again.

Silas chases after Mercy after their night of passion. He tells himself it is only to see if she is pregnant or not, but he is as drawn to her as she is to him. The more time they spend together the closer they become.

I am sick so I needed something light and fluffy that could keep me entertained and this book was exactly that. This is the second book in The Duke Hunt series by Sophie Jordan and I did get to read the first book in the series back in March so I knew what to expect. This series is high heat with very little plot and there’s nothing wrong with that.

This book tells the story of Mercy whose brother loses her family home and farm in a card game to gaming hell owner Silas. Mercy travels to London to steal the promissory note but she is caught in his rooms and sleeps with Silas before making her exit. He follows her to the farm and becomes in the everyday life of her family and friends causing the two to fall in love.

I love love love Silas. He’s a feminist, he’s competent, he suffers no fools, and he does what Mercy says even when it isn’t what he wants. I really liked Mercy and found her really realistic, however I wanted more for her. I struggle with sacrificing heroines and Mercy is the epitome of this archetype. I wanted her to be selfish and put herself first especially where it came to her brother. I loved the two as a couple and believe that they will be happy together.

I am looking forward to the next book in the series because I believe it will be the lady blacksmith’s story and I’ve been waiting for her story since the first book. Thank you to NetGalley and Avon Books for the ARC.